I have a 2002 TXT280 PRO. No matter how far I dial the lever out, I can't get the clutch to disengage. I don't know if it has ever been bled, so I figure I should start there. Does it use DOT fluid or mineral fluid? Thanks
DOT, '04 Raga and '05 on use the mineral oil. There is a conversation kit if you want to go mineral oil. There are also rebuild kits out there but replacing the fluid and bleeding would be a good start.
There are some great videos on YouTube about the Gas Gas clutches. This a link to a quick search I did. I used the non-pro videos to figure out the problem with my 1992 bike. http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...76.1.1.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.04h5ieUqnXE
Clutch is complex (has many places to adjust to suit your riding style). But the Hydraulics have ONE standard thing you MUST comply with... When you "let go completely" of the clutch, there MUST be 1/16 or almost a milimeter of FREE PLAY! this means when lever is at rest, the plunger is not being PUSHED ON at all. now, there is a pimple on the adjuster, that pushes on a spring loaded "little stick" that pushes on the actual plunger. spring should be "felt" when checking free play as it is much less resistance than the plunger against the clutch pressure... Once all that is done. you can move to seeing if you have "air" bubbles. If the bike sets for a LONG time, the clutch fibers and discs can stick together although you have let off the forces that were HOLDING them together.(pulling the clutch) Ive had lots of dirtbikes do this after setting to long. Usualy start the bike, push it forward and bang it into first, while rolling, keep engine running, apply brakes while holding in on clutch, usually breaks the "oil sticktion" loose. If this fails, you have full fluid in hydraulics, no air, you have a bigger problem, like somene put it together wrong. If you have ever (or anyone) the clutch cover off of a PRO, you MUST have the bike laying on it's side (clutch case cover up) when putting back together. this is so fingers on clutch basket are where they MUST BE to hit slave cylinder, plus some people lost the bearing that rides on slave cylinder, and other shims due to how OIL can cause parts to stick for a couple seconds when taking cover off, but then letting the part fall! Search youtube for GASGASINFO. He has movies on there from DVD's that are given to NEW BIKE BUYERS in USA (maybe canada). find all the clutch movies, watch each one, so you know you have all parts and how they interact like i have said, plus more. FWIW, I never have had that (stick because the bike was stored a few months) problem on a pro, have had this issue when finding older bikes. as I ride at least every week on my pro) After that, you might have clutch problem. If someone put anything than DOT brake fluid (like 3,4 and 5) the orings in the slave probably melted away. they are cheap and easy to replace.
Thanks for the info. I should clarify, the clutch will disengage, just not completely, I have to hold the rear brake pretty good to keep it from creeping. I will double check the free play at the lever. I have no idea if the clutch has ever been apart or if the fluid has ever been changed.
The worst case scenario is you have the fiber material separating from the fiber plates and causing the dragging similar to what ADVCoop and I just had to repair, but with your Pro you should have a different clutch than our old ones, so hopefully that is not the case.
I watched a few of the videos. The amount of adjustments in this bike are amazing. I think I have a plan now. One odd thing I noticed in the video, in several places he said you can use DOT 4 or 5. I find that very odd, I always thought that was a big No. I thought 4 and 5.1 were compatible but 5 should never be used.
I bled the clutch last nigh, it works great now. A new issue arose while riding last night. The kick start lever is not engaging whatever it is supposed to engage. If I mess with it for a while, I can get it to engage again. Any ideas on a quick/easy fix?
Jim Snell does have a video on the Kick starter. Before you do anything I would watch it. The kick start gears are probable bad. Being an `02 You will probably need to replace it as an assembly. Also the idler gear will need to be replaced. While you are in there a new spring would be a good idea. Upon inspection you will find teeth missing (broke) on the k.s. gear. The idler gear will be damaged and/or the spring broke. While you are ordering parts replace the small bolts on the clutch spring ring. The new bolts come with a different head on them. they went from a small allan (which you will strip) to a 7mm head which requires a 12 point wrench or socket.
Keep me on track, this is the "pro" right? Ok the pro has a unusual spring setup to make the kicker work. This spring #7, has to GRIP the DOG ear gear (#5) on that ridge, the resistance causes the gear to TWIST itself out on starter SHAFT, in order to engage the idler gear. I have had to replace this SPRING I believe, in 2 older bikes, in one it was actually broke, and fell apart in my hand inspecting it. Most of the time I can attach the spring to the gear it goes on, then using none too big pliers NOR FORCES, grip the pan handle a little bit, which increased the grip on the dog ear gear, makes the starter enguage. Arrow pointing to roughly what I call the pan handle of that spring. As noted on the VIDEOS, the "pan handle" of that spring has to line into a hole on the case! Lastly if idler gear is chewed up, it will resist letting the gear slide up the shaft, and into "mesh" with idler gear.
PRO model gasgas NEVER EVER (IMHO) are without slight drag on gearbox with clutch pulled in. that is a trait of gasgas (and ossa probably since designed by same independent design firm/company). Oil level and flavors can modify the behavior ever so slightly, did I say slightly? and that might be overstating it.
Sting: thank you, it is a Pro. Depending on motivation, I'll pull the clutch cover tonight and see what kind or horrors I find inside.
Well, about fluids, "AFAIK" Dot 3, 4, 5, are mostly interchangeable, though you should NOT mix them in same system, I was told ok to put 4 when out of 3, but in same sentence they said why risk mixing, as easy as it is to push new fluid from bottom to reservoirs. I like 5 in my clutch, it has silicone base, JSE (from gasgas tech site) posted on TC, that it has more slippery and could be compressable slightly compared to 4. Mineral oil, for a long time for me out here in no-where KS, hard to find. so I just swap to dot 5 right off the bat. In 03 or 04 they figured out that the orings, behind the plunger on the clutch on the earlier models, were suspect to disintegrate with anything other than dot3, I think it was, but easy fix, and might disintegrated on previous owner anywho, been replaced...